Ohio State Recruiting

FALL IS8 CROWNS 2011 CHAMPIONS

By Brian Bosworth

The IS8 Fall Semifinals took place on Saturday afternoon and the gym was buzzing from the opening tip of game number one. A standing room only crowd was entertained by two terrific contests featuring some of the most talented 19 and under players in the greater New York City area as well as a few imports from around the country. An environment unlike any other IS8 features a small cramped court with fans right on top of the action, a courtside announcer giving play by play and color commentary, and two referees who swallow their whistles and allow the players to decide the games.

Saturday Semifinal Scores:
The Playaz 73, Mount Vernon 66
The Panthers 77, Our Savior New American 76

As a player at IS8, you know you’ve arrived once the announcer has branded you with a nickname and the first five players outlined below received that honor.

Chris “The Game Changer” Obekpa (Our Savior New American / 2012) – Standing 6’9” 200 pounds, Obekpa is the premier shot blocker in the 2012 class. He has long arms, explosive leaping ability, and outstanding natural instincts which allow him to have complete control of the paint on the defensive end of the floor. Easily eclipsing double figures in rejections for the game, Obekpa altered or blocked every shot taken within 10 feet. By the second half the opposition entered the paint solely looking to pass because challenging Obekpa at the rim was a completely fruitless effort. Offensively, Obekpa currently relies only on dunks and layups, can’t put the ball on the floor, and has little or no back to the basket game. He is a beast in transition because of his athleticism but in a half court set put backs are his only scoring chances. Even without an offensive game, I would still consider Obekpa a top 25 player nationally in the 2012 class because he is so dominant defensively. He should be able to step in and be a top class shot blocker and paint enforcer at the high major level immediately.
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CHRIS WALKER IMPRESSED BY TEAM CHEMISTRY ON VISIT TO KANSAS

As one of the top players in the Class of 2013 in America, 6-foot-9, 205-pound power forward Chris Walker of Holmes County (FL) High School had his choice of Midnight Madness events to choose from. Anually one of the most entertaining and well-attended by recruits drew Walker’s attention as he attended Friday’s Late Night in the Phog on the Kansas University campus. Recruits got a first-hand look at how the KU staff and players interact with each other, something that greatly impressed Walker.

“The chemisty of the team and the kind of relationship that coach Bill [Self] has with his players is phenomenal,” said Walker.

Walker has previously visited Alabama, Florida, Florida State and Georgia. He talked with NBE on what draws his attention to a school.

“Schools with good academics; schools that win school [and] that has a great fansbase,” he said. “[Also] a good relationship with [the] coach and a coach that will make you better on and off the court.”

With no leaders or favorites yet in the process, Walker mentioned Kansas, Kentucky, Florida, Ohio State, Texas, Baylor, Florida State and Memphis as the schools he is currently considering that are active in his recruitment.

While Walker continues to work hard on his game becoming a more versatile player, he has enjoyed the opportunity to showcase his talents this fall in front of college coaches who have come to see him work out.

“Things are going good [at Holmes County],” said Walker. “The best part is just being able to bring college coaches in the gym. “[This season I'm] looking forward to getting better and being more versatile and getting my team more exposure.”

With many eyes on Chris Walker as one of the elite prospects in the Class of 2013 you can be sure his team will be getting plenty of exposure this coming season. With some of the top programs across the country very active in his recruitment expect Holmes County to be playing in front of interested coaches and media throughout the season. NBE will hope to catch Walker and his teammates in action this season and keep readers up to date on his recruitment.

RECRUITING NOTEBOOK: ANTHONY BENNETT HOLDING LIST STEADY, CHINONSO OBOKOH TAKING VISITS & SCHOOLS WATCH YOUNG LAMONTA STONE

The big news of the college basketball recruiting world was delivered by St. Anthony’s senior guard Kyle Anderson who ended the speculation of his college destination with a simple announcement via twitter:

RT @KyleAnderson5 -Had a great family meeting. I’ve decided to be a UCLA BRUIN!!

Anderson’s announcement came on the eve of his birthday, the planned date of his college decision. Seton Hall (tickets) head coach Kevin Willard had made one last pitch to Anderson and his family with an in-home visit, but it was not enough in the end for the Pirates to land the recruiting coup of the early Fall.

While the Anderson story was unfolding, NBE was also able to get recruiting updates on ’12 forward Anthony Bennett, ’13 big man Chinonso Obokoh and ’15 point guard LaMonta Stone II.

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RECRUITMENT OF ISAIAH WATKINS CONTINUES TO GAIN STEAM

There are a lot of new faces within the St. Benedict’s Prep basketball program in Newark (NJ) this season. From new head coach Mark Taylor to Class of 2015 must-see point guard Isaiah Briscoe and more new talent on the Gray Bees’ roster it is an exciting new era for the program in Newark. One player that still seems to be under the radar nationally is Isaiah Watkins, another member of the Canadian AAU program CIA Bounce that will look to excel this year for Taylor’s squad.

“What drew me to St. Benedict’s was the goal of becoming better,” Watkins told NBE earlier this evening. “Improving every day and hopefully being able to win at the highest level possible.”

The improvement of Watkins has been ongoing through the spring and summer according to Nolan Shulman, National Recruiting Analyst of Flagrant Fouls and Editor-in-Chief of the Ultimate Recruiting Handbook which is the authority on Canadian basketball prospects. Shulman also noted that Watkins will come to work every single day at St. Benedict’s, which should only enhance his goal of improving.
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DAVON REED ENJOYS SETON HALL VISIT; MORE TRIPS PLANNED

While much of the attention in recent weeks have been paid to the Class of 2012 prospects hitting college campuses for official visits, several 2013 prospects have also used their free time to see some schools for themselves. One player with a very busy visit schedule the next month is Davon Reed. The 6-foot-5, 190-pound shooting guard was able to fit in a BIG EAST visit last weekend.

“I really enjoyed my visit to Seton Hall last Saturday,” Reed told NBE yesterday. “The staff was really welcoming and they seem to be have a bright future for the program! It was an excellent visit!”

Reed was surprised that the campus was bigger than he thought. He was also able to see coach Kevin Willard’s squad hit the court for a preseason workout, which he singled out as the visit’s highlight.
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DANUEL HOUSE IMPRESSED WITH VISIT TO HOUSTON; CONSIDERING LIST OF SIX SCHOOLS

It was a big weekend on the University of Houston campus last week as head coach James Dickey and his staff welcomed highly regarded Texas PRO AAU teammates Danuel House and Danrad ‘Chicken’ Knowles to campus for visits. The Cougars’ football team held on for a thrilling 38-34 win over UCLA and the basketball program made a strong impression on their visitors.

“It was good and it was very fun,” House told NBE yesterday, adding the highlight was “how I and Coach Dickey talked the moment they have when you walk in the school.”

House would be a huge get for Dickey’s Conference USA program, pushing 6-foot-7 and weighing 195 pounds, House has good size for the small forward position to go along with big-time athleticism. A high-flyer, House is an explosive finisher at the rim who can produce highlight reel dunks. He has good length and a strong build. House can connect from long range, though he is still improving his consistency with his perimeter shot. He handles the ball well and gets to the rim off the bounce. He has a good motor and could become a superb perimeter defender if he works at it. House was one of the spring’s biggest stock boosters and his development is by no means finished as he only started playing basketball in the 8th grade and has recently hit a growth spurt which pushed him from a mid-level prospect to one of the nation’s elite in a few short months.

House has visited Houston before so he continues to build the relationship with the staff and school. He also previously visited Baylor and he updated NBE the current list of schools he is considering that are active in his recruitment.

“U of H, Baylor, Georgetown, Ohio State, Kansas and Texas,” said House of the schools recruiting him, adding that there are “no favorites right now.”

House has previously told NBE during the AAU Super Showcase that he was looking to decide towards the end of the early signing period around November and that he “might sign early”. Despite the excellent visit to Houston last weekend the time frame for his college decision has not changed. However, there are reasons for the Cougar fans to be optimistic as the factors that will play the biggest role in his decision seem to bode well as he continues to develop a strong relationship with Coach Dickey and the UH staff.

“A coach that’s going to reach out and teach me more about the game,” replied House when asked of the factors most important in his pending college decision. “Schooling and my relationship with the staff [also].”

With some of the elite programs in the nation after Danuel House Houston definitely has their work cut out for them in landing the electric 6’7 Class of 2012 small forward. NBE will continue to follow the recruitment of House and other Texas PRO athletes to see if the Cougars can pull of the coup and rekindle memories of Phi Slamma Jamma in the Lonestar State.

TOUGH DECISIONS AHEAD FOR ANTHONY BENNETT

One of the elite prospects in the Class of 2012 is FIndlay Prep forward Anthony Bennett. The 6-foot-7, 235-pound manchild terrorized rims and opponents all summer long playing with CIA Bounce on the AAU trail or Team Canada in international competition. NBE first identified Bennett as having the potential to be one of the top players in the Class of 2012 when he was playing for Mountain State Academy during the 2009-2010 season. Wrapping up that initial year in the United States after coming down from Brampton, Ont. in Canada, Bennett showed he was developing at a rapid rate at the 2010 National High School Invitational to close the season.

Bennett’s progress has only continued from those first viewings of him in action. Quite frankly, Bennett is a beast. He is every bit of the size he’s listed at and uses his strength to dominate the paint. He loves contact and has no problem finishing right through it inside. Not just a banger, Bennett also has a clean jump out past the three-point line, can put the ball on the floor, and runs in transition like a wing player. He has exploded on the national scene this past spring and summer and it’s easy to see why with his combination of power and skill. Bennett is only scratching the surface of his huge potential and is already drawing comparisons to the likes of Larry Johnson and Carmelo Anthony.

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SUMMER SHOOTOUT NOTEBOOK

By Alex Schwartz

ALLENTOWN, N.J. — Although the Summer Shootout is not necessarily well-known outside of New Jersey, the event is filled with quality teams and talented players on a yearly basis. The 2011 edition was no different, as NBE Basketball Report took in some of the action on Saturday and got to catch up with a handful of Big East recruits.

Isaiah Watkins, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound power forward, really saw his stock increase this summer. A class of 2013 prospect who hails from Toronto and is in his first year at St. Benedict’s (NJ), Watkins already lists a number of high-major offers.

Watkins said that Santa Clara, Missouri, Arkansas, Cincinnati and Virginia have all extended scholarship offers to him. In addition, he is hearing from Harvard, Ohio State, Georgetown, Michigan, Elon, Lafayette, Niagara, Villanova, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Temple, West Virginia, Kansas and more.
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FRANCHISE CLASSIC NOTEBOOK: UK, OHIO STATE & FLORIDA STRONG IN THE MIX FOR CHRIS WALKER; GREG MCCLINTON HAS VARIED LIST: JEVON THOMAS UPDATE

by Alex Schwartz

BRONX, N.Y. — Despite rain causing a delay of over two hours and a change of venue, NBE was still in attendance for the inaugural Franchise Classic.

Team New York defeated Team USA, 146-138. Connecticut-bound Omar Calhoun led the way with 34 while Kyle Anderson and Villanova-commit Savon Goodman added 28 and 26 respectively. For Team USA, Archie Goodwin poured in 46 points in the loss and Shaq Goodwin contributed 31 of his own.

After the game, which was held at the South Bronx Job Corps, NBE had a chance to catch up with a trio of players.

Holmes County (FL) star Chris Walker is a top 10 player in the class of 2013. The 6’9 power forward has three schools standing out to him at this point–Florida, Kentucky and Ohio State.

“That’s the three I’m really feeling right now,” Walker said of the Gators, Wildcats and Buckeyes.

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2011 ORLANDO AAU FINAL NOTEBOOK: RECRUITING NOTES & PLAYER EVALUATIONS

By Alex Schwartz

FLORIDA & ALABAMA LEAD FOR 2012 C HAUGHTON

Tyrone Haughton, a 6-foot-9 center out of Miami’s Dr. Krop High School, said he has offers from Western Kentucky, Alabama, Florida, West Virginia and Miami to go along with interest from Marshall.

As for his favorites, he said, “Florida or Alabama, either one.”

Haughton said Alabama, Florida and West Virginia are the three schools coming at him the hardest.

He has yet to take any visits, but plans to visit each of the schools on his list. Haughton plans to commit in the “fall this year” and will sign early.

Haughton would like to remain close to home for college.
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2011 ORLANDO AAU NOTEBOOK (PART 9): BRANNEN GREENE, TYLER CAVANAUGH, LANDRY NNOKO & THEO PINSON

By Alex Schwartz

BRANNEN GREENE SETS LOUISVILLE VISIT; PLANNING OTHER TRIPS

Pushing 6-foot-7, Brannen Greene is a mismatch on the wing due to his height and refined skill set. The Monroe (GA) native is a solid athlete with a good build who can do quite a bit with the ball in his hands. Greene has a high basketball IQ and good court vision, allowing him to hit the open man in position to score. His handle is superb and he can get through the defense on the way to the rack. Greene finishes pretty well at the rim and is crafty down low against the big bodies. He has nice form on his jumper, though he has yet to become a truly consistent shooter from deep. Greene puts in effort at the defensive end and can cause problems on the perimeter due to his length.

Greene has seen his stock explode as much as anyone in the Class of 2013 this summer and he a school list to prove it. He said that he has offers from Louisville, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Alabama, Marquette, Florida State, Florida, Connecticut, Kansas, Ohio State, Memphis, South Carolina, the equivalent of such from Harvard as well as “a lot more.”
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AMILE JEFFERSON STILL OPEN IN THE RECRUITING PROCESS AS JULY CLOSES

By Matt Whitfield

Contrary to what was reported recently Amile Jefferson stated to NBE yesterday at the DC Assault-Big Shots event that he has not narrowed his list down to eight schools and as he is taking the recruiting process very seriously.

“Ah no, not really,” responded Jefferson when asked if he’d narrowed his list down to eight schools. “I’m still pretty wide open with the recruiting process. We’re hoping to get some visits in and try and narrow this list down.”

Jefferson did mention that he’s looking to take some visits to some East Coast schools in the coming months.

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2011 ORLANDO AAU NOTEBOOK (PART 7): RECRUITING LISTS FROM AAU NATIONALS

By Alex Schwartz

The grind continues in Orlando as we move into the home stretch of the 2011 AAU National Championships. On Thursday NBE caught up with Malik Price-Martin, Kasey Hill, Duane Wilson Jr., Kobe Eubanks and Zacarry Douglas for the latest on their recruitment.

The action continues on Friday and through the weekend in Orlando and NBE will be on hand right through the conclusion. In the 16U level they have reached the FInal 8 of Pool Play. Match-ups late this morning include BABC/Garner Road, Ohio Varsity White/Rising Stars Gold, NY Gauchos/All-Ohio Red & Team Takeover/Ohio Hoopsters Cash. The semifinals will be played later this afternoon and the championship game is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

17U action has moved into championship bracket play with 32 teams left after early morning play. The field will be narrowed to 16 later today and then tomorrow the Final 8 will square off. Some big names remain and Albany City Rocks and Texas PRO square off today for a spot in the final 16. The Arkansas Wings, Florida Rams, CP3, All-Iowa Attack, PA Playaz, Wisconsin Playground Elite and others highlight the remaining teams.

Below you will find our recruiting updates from yesterday….

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2011 DESERT DUEL MEMORIAL FINAL DAY RECAP: NJ PLAYAZ STORM BACK FOR TITLE

By Raphielle Johnson

The only thing better than the two best teams in an event playing in the title game is those teams putting forth a game for the ages. And that’s exactly what happened when the Mac Irvin Fire and New Jersey Playaz 17U teams met in Tuesday’s title game at the Desert Duel Memorial. Despite trailing by as many as 26 points early in the second half the Playaz found a way back, ultimately winning the game in overtime by the final score of 70-62.

Things most certainly didn’t look good for the Playaz at the start as Mac Irvin jumped them out of the gate thanks to the combination of solid offensive execution and the Playaz’s inability to make shots. The squad from Chicago had everything rolling, especially 2013 stud Jabari Parker who hit just about any shot imaginable in the first twenty minutes.

Steve Taylor (2012) was able to slash to the basket, DePaul commit Billy Garrett Jr. (2013) and Derrick Randolph (2012) made plays in the backcourt and Aaric Armstead (2012) was also a factor. A dunk just before the halftime buzzer made the score 43-20, and a Parker three in the first minute of the second half pushed the lead out to 26. To say the least things did not look good for the Playaz was an understatement.

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2011 DESERT DUEL MEMORIAL – DAY ONE RECAP: COACHES GALORE ON HAND FOR ACTION

By Raphielle Johnson

With the second ten-day open period of the month on the back end it would have been easy for teams still playing to perform in a sluggish manner. But that didn’t happen on Wednesday, especially at the Desert Duel Memorial Tournament where a few games needed overtime to render a decision. One of those games was the matchup between Long Island Lightning Blue and Seattle Rotary Select, with the Lightning making up a four-point deficit in the final 30 seconds of regulation and going on to win by the final score of 69-65.

The guard tandem of Kareem Canty (2012; postgrad) and Melvin Johnson (2012) made crucial plays down the stretch with both being able to get to the rim off the dribble. Canty’s more of a scoring point who was also to make some nice passes to his big men after beating his man off the dribble, and the pull-up jumper he says he’s been working on was on display as well.

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2011 ORLANDO AAU UPDATE (PART 5): CHAMPIONSHIP DAY FOR 17U SUPER SHOWCASE AHEAD

By Alex Schwartz

It is championship day at the 17U AAU Super Showcase in Orlando on Wednesday afternoon. At noon, Team Takeover DC will meet the Houston Defenders in one semifinal match-up while BABC will take on Hoop Heaven Elite at 3 PM in the other semifinal. The winners will meet in the Showcase ttile game scheduled for 7 PM and it will be televised by ESPNUI.

Last night ESPNU had a made-for-TV ‘highlight’ game in Orlando putting Texas PRO and the Georgia Stars on display for television viewers. NBE caught up with some of the top names from the highlight game, including Alex Poythress, Danuel House and Danrad ‘Chicken’ Knowles, to get the latest in their recruitment. Also a pair of 2013 guards, Stephen Vasturia and Allerick Freeman, are profiled in today’s report…

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2011 ORLANDO AAU NOTEBOOK (PART 2): ACTION HEATING UP IN DISNEY

By Alex Schwartz

The action continues in Orlando with the AAU Super Showcase for the 15U and 16U heating up on Saturday. On Sunday the 17U division gets going stronger as well and more and more college coaches are arriving at the ESPN Wide World of Sports venue. In this afternoon’s notebook we take a closer look at the recruitment of standouts such as Kavon Stewart, Geno Thorpe, Davon Reed, Kendrick Nunn and we take a look at the impressive games of Dakari Johnson, Aquille Carr and Phil Booth. Read on below for the detail…

At 5-foot-11, NJ Playaz/Hudson Catholic point guard Kavon Stewart might not have elite height for a point guard, but what he does have is a fantastic feel for the game and the ability to lead a team. A pure point, Stewart gets others involved and has superb floor vision. He is able to find the open man and get him the basketball in a position to score. Stewart has a solid build, though he could add a bit of muscle. The 2013 prospect has a nice mid-range game which keeps the defense honest.
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2011 ORLANDO AAU NOTEBOOK (PART I): SELDEN, WILBEKIN, HAYES STANDOUT

By Alex Schwartz

The second July live evaluation period kicked off on Friday and the place to be over the 10-day period looks to be Orlando (FL). With AAU Super Showcases along with AAU National Championships being at the top age groups the action will be heating up like much of the summer weather our nation is currently seeing. In this first notebook, NBE chats with elite 2014 prospect Wayne Selden about his recruitment and covers the play and recruitment of Nigel Hayes, Mitchell Wilbekin while also getting a look at Marial Shayok, Che Bop and Jeremy Miller as well with the younger age groups taking center stage first. Read on below for the details…

Wayne Selden said he has offers from Kentucky, Boston College, Connecticut, West Virginia and Pittsburgh. He has interest from Ohio State, Arizona and Providence. He noted, “A lot more other schools in the Big East, ACC.”
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CLASS OF 2013 Q&A: BRANNEN GREENE

NBE got a chance to conduct an interview with Brannen Greene over the weekend. Greene is a highly regarded G/F out of Mary Persons High School in Monroe (GA). Playing with the Charlotte Royals 17U AAU program you can be sure Greene will be a priority for college coaches to see in the next open evaluation period whihc runs from 7/22 – 7/31. The rising junior (Class of 2013) has heard from many high-major college programs since schools were officially able to contact players in the class beginning on June 15th. Below is our Q&A with Brannen Greene:

NBE: What is your current height and weight?

Brannen Greene (BG): I’m 6’7 and 197 lbs
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NBE: What was the highlight of the first 10-day open evaluation period for you?

BG: My highlight of this first half would probably be having so many top-notch coaches at my games in Indianapolis (Adidas Invitational).
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NBE: With coaches allowed to be at these open evaluation AAU games, do you notice who is in the stands watching? Anyone in particulat stick out who has been watching?
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HOOP GROUP WV JAM FEST RECRUITING NOTES – DAY 2

By Lauren Kirschman

The first 10-day live evaluation period of July has come and gone in nearly a blink of an eye. Its been a fun trip to Akron (OH) and Morgantown (WV) and points in between, north and south as well as east and west. While the coaches and throngs of media head home to their own beds finally, the Hoop Group’s West Virginia Jam Fest will carry on another day.

Tomorrow morning the event’s Gold Semifinals will take place. In the 17U bracket Team Philly will take on Team Takeover – Hoop Magic in one semifinal. Team Philly got past Long Island Lightning – Blue in one quarterfinal and the Hoop Magic-based squad upset Team 94 out of California in another quarterfinal.

The other half of the last four standing will be a match-up between the NY Gauchos and Hoop Heaven Heat of NJ who got past the Jersey Shore Warriors in a thrilling ending. The Gauchos won a hard fought affair with East Coast Elite in their quarterfinal match-up.

NBE caught up with a trio of standouts on Friday and below has the latest recruiting information on ’12 Blaise Mbargorba, ’13 Mark Williams and ’13 Elijah Brown for readers to enjoy…

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